At 08:51 PM 8/5/97 -0700, you wrote:
>> Moaning Cavern is absolutely awesome ! ! ! - imagine a mountain hollowed
>> out (by time & water) with a hole at the very top;  You rappel down & into
>> a cavern big enough to hold the Statue of Liberty, base & all.  Below you
>> notice ants milling around in the dim light, & get a shock as you realize
>> you're looking at the helmets of previous rappellers - very disorienting &
>> a great rush. (aren't fear and apprehension the best highs of all???).
>> 
>> Austin 
>> 
>Last time I was there was long ago, but there was no rappelling into the
>deep dark hole, rather we walked down a large iron circular staircase.  It
>is a big cave, I grant.  At the time, visitors were not allowed out of the
>first cavern, and we did not have helmets or anything.  The cavern was
>lighted.  Maybe they are two different caves we are talking about.  I
>also don't recall it being only 4 miles from Columbia, but thought it was
>near Murphy's up on highway 4.
>
>I was last in the cave some 20 years ago, though.
>
>malcolm
>
Moaning Cavern (as in blowing across a coke <beer?> bottle) is privately
owned, phone # 209/736 - 2708; it's on Parrotts Ferry road near hwy 4 @
Vallecito, between Murphys & Angels Camp: 8 miles north of Columbia state
park.  You can camp there (free but kinda cruddy), and they also have tours
underground, both walking and crawling (they supply helmets, coveralls,
lights, etc.  All in all, definitely worthwhile.  Rappelled there ~ 2 years
ago.

Austin